ABIGAIL CIRELLI | staff writer
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Abigail Cirelli
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| IBEW Local 11 protests outside APU on the corner of Foothill and Alosta with their "APU Hurts The Community" banner. |
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Over the past two weeks, representatives from IBEW Local Union 11, an electric workers union, have been on the corner of Alosta and Citrus, advertising that “Azusa Pacific Hurts the Community.” Displaying a large banner and distributing flyers, IBEW Local 11 is accusing APU of harming the community by choos ing construction contractors to work on the new science center on West Campus that don’t follow certain area labor standards.
The flyers passed out to students and passersby explain that the general contractor for the new science building project, C.W. Driver, contracts Lank Mark Electric, a company IBEW Local 11 claims does not meet area labor standards.
“Building trade work has traditionally been a middle class job, and when a company like Land Mark Electric doesn’t pay area standard wages, it hurts all of us in the community,” IBEW Local Union 11 assistant business manager Kevin Norton said. “We’re bannering because we want better standards of living. That’s what the labor movement is all about, that’s what IBEW is all about, and that’s why we have a public awareness campaign at APU.”
C.W. Driver’s senior project manager for the project, Tom Jones, doesn’t agree with the allegations, saying Land Mark is “absolutely in compliance” with labor regulations.
“What the union is telling you is incorrect. Land Mark does provide health and retirement benefits,” Jones said. “Workers are happy working for Land Mark because they don’t have to pay union fees and they get paid well.”
APU’s senior project manager for the project, Cliff Hamlow, has confidence that C.W. Driver is following all labor standards.
“Land Mark Electric works a whole lot for C.W. Driver and their people have pension plans and they take care of the health benefits for them,” Hamlow said. “Our general contractor would not hire companies that weren’t treating their employees as we would want to be treated.”
Both Hamlow and Jones expressed the view that IBEW Local 11 is picketing for the sake of getting jobs for union contractors, not because Land Mark has actually broken labor standards. They also both mentioned that during tight economic times, unions are more apt to picket for union labor.
“They’re trying to present APU in a negative image, that’s their goal out there, and that’s wrong,” Hamlow said.
IBEW Local 11 labor relations spokesperson Pat Stewart says the public awareness campaign is about bringing public attention to issues that IBEW has previously raised with both APU and C.W. Driver.
Stewart says he sent a letter on Dec. 16, 2008 to both Jon Wallace and C.W. Driver CEO Dana Roberts bringing the matter to their attention, but no response was received. The office of the President reports receiving the faxed flyer, but no letter.
Stewart believes APU and C.W. Driver had plenty of time to “do something,” before IBEW began the public awareness campaign.
When APU and then C.W. Driver were taking bids on who to contract, both Jones and Hamlow said cost and quality were the determining factors.
APU has a history using C.W. Driver, who in turn has a history using Land Mark, and both have always been satisfied. While C.W. Driver hired both union and non union contractors, in this case, Land Mark could provide a cost advantage.
Stewart believes Land Mark Electric does not provide adequate health care or pension for all of its employees. The flyer IBEW Local 11 distributes, which reads “W.W.J.D.?” asks students to contact Jon Wallace and ask him to make sure APU’s construction meets labor standards. The office of the president reported receiving only one or two vaguely related calls.
“There’s nothing unchristian about what we’re doing. Just because we don’t hire a union doesn’t reflect on Christ in anyway,” Hamlow said.
The flyer mentioned APU’s “obligation to the community” to ensure that labor standards are met. Stewart emphasized the negative effects on tax payers, construction workers, and the community as a whole.
“[Workers at Land Mark Electric] do the same work as someone who is lucky enough to be represented by a union. We want Land Mark workers to have the same quality of living as anyone else working in the construction trade,” Norton said.
Hamlow stressed that APU is a private, tuition driven institution.
“We have to do what’s best for APU and this community,” Hamlow said. “It’s our jobs to build a building within all the codes, within all the regulations that are placed upon us, at the least cost we can build it.”
Hamlow said he felt the public awareness campaign to be simply “harassment.”
“They’re trying to support that every project in America ought to have union labor. Well, if we were doing scab labor or sweatshop stuff, that would be one thing. But we’re not.” Hamlow said.
Hamlow believes unions do serve a specific purpose.
“Unions have raised the standards so you don’t have sweatshops, which is where you got people working for nothing.”
Stewart, who says that IBEW Local 11 will continue to display their banners even long after the West Campus project is complete, says IBEW Local 11’s campaign has “absolutely nothing” to do with whether or not Land Mark Electric is a union contractor.
Stewart believes the campaign is about making sure people are aware that Land Mark Electric’s low wages harm the industry and therefore the local community. He hopes advertising in front of APU will inform as many people as possible.
“It’s about having a level playing field to compete on,” Stewart said. “ Land Mark does not meet area labor standards. Its not a union issue/non union issue. Its about all workers receiving a fair wage and compensation for the work they perform.”
